Customer Amenities and Information

Lack of wayfinding and transit arrival information.

Limited weather protection at Geneva bus loading areas, although they are used by as many passengers as at some rail stations.

Lighting levels could be improved in some areas.

Short-Range “Fast Track” High Priority Project:

Pursue dedicated sales tax Prop K funding for design  of Geneva transit plaza improvements plus lighting and wayfinding improvements in the station area bounded by Ocean, Geneva and San Jose. 

BART has begun design of Geneva transit plaza wayfinding, real time transit signs and lighting improvements, while SFMTA has requested Prop K design funding for Geneva canopies and other lighting and wayfinding improvements.

Geneva Ave. Transit Operations

Freeway-related traffic and kiss and ride activity interfere with transit operations.

Short-Range:

Synchronize signals; Completed City/Caltrans coordination.

Reconfigure westbound lanes approaching and in front of station and over I-280 bridge to reduce congestion and facilitate buses leaving stops, with wider northern sidewalk.

Upcoming SFCTA Balboa Park Circulation Study  should review proposals to:

• Reconfigure kiss and ride to eliminate exits and entrances on Geneva and
• Straighten curbs in bus loading areas and provide wider sidewalks; Prop K design funds requested.

Ocean Ave. Transit and Bike Facilities

Until recently there was no convenient, accessible walkway between BART station and Ocean Ave., leading to pedestrians walking next to light rail tracks, but an accessible connection to the J/K boarding area is still needed.

Adopted SFMTA Bike Plan includes bike lanes on Ocean Avenue; critical east-west link with City College, schools, SFSU.

SFMTA Transit Effectiveness Project recommends moving some bus service from Geneva to Ocean Avenue.

Long-Range:

Complete bike lanes between Alemany and Phelan; replacing City College pedestrian bridge to facilitate this.

Allow buses to use light rail track lane westbound, like on Market Street.

Short-Range:

Recently completed:  BART Westside Walkway and mid-block station entrance significantly improves connection to Ocean Ave.for BART passengers, but the Eastside Connection pedestrian bridge needed to connect the Westside Walkway to the J/K loading area.

Already funded: Crosswalks and pedestrian countdown signals from station across Ocean at I-280.

Recently completed:  Westbound bike lane on Ocean Avenue between San Jose Avenue and the existing I-280 southbound off-ramp.

Provide new westbound bus stop at station.

Improve Ocean/Geneva/Phelan for pedestrians.

Muni Light Rail Routes and Stops

Station area is too crowded, with transit station/stop and maintenance facilities, plus a freeway interchange, in the middle of a lively neighborhood with multiple schools and City College.

Transit stops have significant safety, accessibility, and convenience issues.  For example:

• M Line final northbound stop is inaccessible, in the street about 400 feet from BART station entrance.

• J and K boarding is convenient to BART, but adjacent walkway is narrow, inaccessible.

Mid to Long-Range:

Run M-line from Embarcadero to San Francisco State University (SFSU)/Parkmerced, eventually to Daly City BART, at least on one branch, consistent with Transit Effectiveness Project (TEP).

Provide accessible, convenient K-line boarding near BART mezzanine entrance.

Short-Range:

Following are largely funded, in preliminary design:

• Provide Eastside Connection – pedestrian bridge from BART Westside Walkway over BART station box to J/K boarding area.
• Close off walkway next to tracks near Ocean Ave.
• Move J/K boarding to new accessible platform on San Jose Ave.
• Upgrade existing J/K accessible boarding platform next to BART and convert to drop-off only.

Analyze potential to move final northbound M-line stop to north side of San Jose and Geneva Ave. intersection.  Provide accessible boarding platforms in both directions.  Prop K funding requested for analysis as high priority.

Improve walkway from BART to San Jose Ave. and eliminate “pinch points” where feasible. Prop K funding requested for design as high priority.

Freeway Interchange

Adopted neighborhood plan supports decking over freeway and providing a single point urban interchange (SPUI).

Deck completely over the freeway within less than 20 years appears infeasible due to significant cost and would need to be coordinated with freeway reconstruction.

Long-Range:

Refine and analyze proposal for elevated roadway between I-280 and BART’s  Westside Walkway, with short kiss and ride facility, to be coordinated with Ocean and Geneva bridge replacement.

Consider interchange reconfiguration as part of long-range area circulation plan beyond 20 years.

Transit-Oriented Development

Muni Upper Yard and Muni Green Yard provide opportunities for supporting neighborhood revitalization and reducing transit facility impacts.

Adopted neighborhood plan includes policies to convert Upper Yard/BART kiss and ride to transit village and to consider decks above Muni Green Yard.

While Upper Yard transit village is desirable, it is not feasible to give up this critical light rail vehicle (LRV) storage/staging facility in the short-term, and feasibility in the longer term is uncertain.  The SFMTA needs significant facility upgrades elsewhere to support current and future needs.

Decking over the entire Green Yard appears infeasible.

Mid to Long-Range:

Upper Yard transit village would be valuable, but a comprehensive real estate and facilities study must be completed to determine whether the Upper Yard can be redeveloped.  Even if the Upper Yard could be reused, the SFMTA would need funding for compensatory light rail maintenance facility and access upgrades.

Kiss and ride should be incorporated into design of transit village, i.e., build over a reconfigured kiss and ride.

Provide retail frontage between north Geneva transit plaza and Green Annex Building.

Other Accessibility Concerns

Curb ramps are missing or below standard at some key locations.

There is no elevator near the kiss and ride location south of Geneva, and no convenient auto loading near elevator north of Geneva.

Difficult for pedestrians to cross Geneva at Howth or to cross I-280 ramp intersections on Ocean.

Long-Range:

Kiss and ride on new elevated roadway would help accessibility.

Straighten out I-280 southbound off-ramp to T intersection at Ocean; eliminate high-speed merge.

Short to Mid-Range:

Install or improve curb ramps. BART recently completed curb ramps across kiss and ride driveway.

Funded: Straighten crosswalk across Geneva near I-280 and station, recently repaved.

Install elevator south of Geneva to BART mezzanine level per BART plans.

Funded:  Traffic/pedestrian signal at Geneva/Howth.

Install flashing beacon and warning sign at I-280 southbound off-ramp.

Transit Storage/
Maintenance Facilities

The light rail fleet is expected to grow significantly over the next 10-20 years, just to meet forecast SF population and employment growth.

While the efficiency of facilities can be improved, it is not feasible to eliminate or move major part of facilities in short/mid-term.

Short to Mid-Range:  To use facilities more efficiently:

Charge employees for parking; implemented.

Relocate spare parts and repair wrecked light rail vehicles.

With seismic strengthening of Geneva Office Building, use adjacent tracks at Geneva Yard.

Improve capacity and access to Muni Metro East.

Provide supplemental LRV/historic storage/staging facilities.

Parking

Average occupancy rate in Residential Permit Parking (RPP) areas during day below 56% vs. 86-90% outside RPP zones.   BART patrons do not seem to be intruding on the RPP zones, but an estimated 500+ park throughout the non-RPP areas   Residents of the non-RPP area closest to the station have not exercised their majority option to convert to RPP.

Study parking management options focused on park and commercial frontage.  As part of an upcoming citywide review of RPP and on-street parking policies, possibly study parking benefit districts, which may sell a limited number of daytime RPP permits to commuters and use additional funds for neighborhood improvements. 

Extending Fast Pass use on BART to Daly City part of study that is underway.

Customer Amenities And Information

Geneva Transit Plaza: Bus Loading Areas near BART Entrances

Real time NextBus/BART Electronic Signs

Short

6

Canopies

Short

4

Lighting Improvements

Short

6

Geneva Avenue Transit Operations and Pedestrian Access

Reconfigure Westbound Lanes and Widen Sidewalks in Bus Loading Area and on North Side of I-280 Overpass

Short

1

0.5 (dot on line)

Reconfigure Kiss and Ride Roadway to Eliminate Exits/Entrances on Geneva Avenue

Short

3

2.5 (dot on line)

Ocean Avenue Transit and Bike Facilities

Complete Bike Lanes between Alemany Boulevard and Phelan Avenue

Long

4

Allow Buses to use Light Rail Track Westbound

Long

1

Provide New Westbound Stop at Station for 49, 29, 54 Routes

Short

3

Improve Ocean/Geneva/Phelan Intersection for Pedestrians using corner sidewalk extensions

Short

6

Light Rail Routes and Stops

To Create More Boarding Room, Move J Line out of loop, down San Jose Avenue. M Line no longer would serve Balboa Park.

Mid, Long

1

7

Provide Accessible, Convenient K Line Boarding near BART Mezzanine Entrance

Mid, Long

Move Final Northbound M Line Stop to North Side of San Jose/Geneva Intersection with Accessible Boarding Platforms

Short

3

Move J/K Boarding to New Accessible Platform on San Jose Avenue

Short

Remove Pinch Points on Walkway from BART to San Jose Avenue

Short

1

Freeway Interchange

Construct Elevated Kiss and Ride Roadway between I-280 and BART's Westside Walkway/New Entrance

Long

2

Transit-Oriented Development

Pursue Upper Yard Residential-Retail "Transit Village"

Mid, Long

6

3

Construct Small Retail Building between north Geneva Transit Plaza and Green Annex Building

Mid, Long

2

Other Accessibility Improvements

Straighten out I-280 Southbound Off-Ramp to T Intersection at Ocean; no high speed merge

Mid, Long

Install Flashing Beacon and Warning Sign at I-280 Southbound Off-Ramp

Short

1

Install Elevator on South Side of Geneva Avenue to BART

Short

4